After making history last week, the NASCAR Cup Series heads to another highly anticipated track this Sunday at Darlington Raceway for the Goodyear 400.
As if a three-horse photo finish at the Kentucky Derby last Saturday wasn’t enough, Kyle Larson and Chris Buescher said “Hold my beer” and raced to the closest photo finish in Kentucky Derby history. NASCAR the next day. It’s a tough group to follow, but Darlington promises a good show for NASCAR fans, complete with its own quirks. We’ll get to that below, along with some nagging questions about a potential international expansion of NASCAR, long-shot plans and favorites at Darlington, and what it must be like to be second in a photo finish.
As always, Jeff Gluck and Jordan Bianchi are here to guide us through the maze of NASCAR (aka everything we want and need to know!).
The race will take place Sunday at 3 p.m. ET on FS1.
Let’s go!
Well, you predicted Kansas would be entertaining and you were right! A photo finish even closer than that of the Kentucky Derby the day before – and closer than any other NASCAR race in history. How much sleep is Chris Buescher losing this week?
Jeff: Poor Buescher. You hate to pick on the guy, but there were definitely things he could have done differently after having a good lead at the white flag – and he knows that too. Allowing Kyle Larson to get position on the high side was one thing, but Buescher also opted to race Larson cleanly — and fairly — instead of pinning him against the wall. Unfortunately for Buescher, Larson then hit him coming to the checkered flag to take just enough momentum away from him. This will haunt Buescher for a long, long time.
Jordan: It really stings. He probably had a few days to wonder how he tried to push Larson away. Further adding to the pain is what a win would have meant to solidify a playoff spot, something that is very uncertain. And if Buescher were to miss the playoffs, Kansas would represent a big missed opportunity.
Kentucky Derby, hold my beer pic.twitter.com/6ijrTpnmSD
– Kyle Larson (@KyleLarsonRacin) May 6, 2024
I don’t want to keep harping on the problems with NASCAR’s Next Gen car, but is Kansas really pointing us to a solution: more tracks like this? What are the pros, cons and practicality of changing the schedule in this way? Is it just a bandage?
Jeff: Intermediate tracks like Kansas used to stink, while short tracks and road courses were all the rage. Now it’s all reversed with Next Gen, prompting calls for more 1.5-mile tracks. My opinion: why not strengthen the program with more intermediaries since they put on the best show? Replace the Charlotte Roval with the oval. Reopen the Chicagoland Speedway (which is just sitting idle in Joliet but hasn’t been torn down). Maybe even consider reopening Kentucky Speedway (if it is recalled). A few changes could be made to the schedule with relative ease.
Jordan: Would anyone really object to NASCAR racing in Kansas 20 times a year? Joke. Kind of. But the fact is that this car has completely changed the way we see the tracks. The widely derided intermediate tracks are now highly anticipated, while the short tracks, once so popular, elicit an indifferent shrug. It will be interesting to watch how NASCAR adapts the schedule to this change in mentality. There may be an influx of races at intermediate tracks added, but there are no guarantees – especially if NASCAR remains committed to holding races in major metropolitan areas like they have in Los Angeles and Chicago .
NOOB Question of the Week: Looks like Denny Hamlin’s No. 11 car is “stupidly fast,” as Kyle Larson said after Kansas. So…why is he losing so many spots on pit road? What is his pit crew doing?
Jeff: Hamlin may actually have the best pit crew in NASCAR this year, so Kansas was an anomaly. And much of Kansas had to do with being blocked by cars entering and exiting their pits (Hamlin documented on his podcast that he received no courtesy from the last place car, which, according to him, was an unwritten misstep). coded). So Hamlin probably should have won the race and could have done so again if Kyle Busch hadn’t spun and caused a late caution.
Jordan: Various factors have contributed to Hamlin not having as many wins as he should. Last week, the problem was on pit road where Hamlin twice lost a multitude of pit spots. It’s difficult to overcome. Late caution didn’t help either. Bottom line: It’s hard to win these races, no matter how fast your car is.
Who do you like to win at Darlington?
Jeff: On paper, this should be another Denny Hamlin vs. Kyle Larson race. And we’ll go with Hamlin, because…well, have you seen his numbers at Darlington? Only eight drivers in the field have even one win at the “Too Tough To Tame” track, and Hamlin has four wins, double the closest active driver. Hamlin also has the best average of any driver in the field (Larson is second) and leads in top 5, top 10 and laps led.
Jordan: Hamlin and Larson are two excellent and obvious choices. They deserve to be called “favorites”. But the pick here is Martin Truex Jr. He is a two-time Darlington winner and is second in laps led, just 64 laps behind Hamlin. He’s also overdue for a win this season, and he should have the speed to check that box on Sunday.
Who do you prefer for Darlington?
Jeff: Everyone is going to say Erik Jones (+4000) here, and they’re right. Jones has been incredible at Darlington, even winning the Southern 500 for Petty GMS (now Legacy Motor Club) in 2022. He has two wins, five top-fives and eight top-10s in 12 career starts here. Pretty good, especially since half of those races weren’t even in what you’d think were competing cars.
Jordan: Jones is the choice. And really, there is no better option. His victory on his return from injury would certainly be a good story.
I read that Darlington is a very abrasive track and tire management will probably be important in this race. How will we see the different strategies in play and which teams could have an advantage thanks to this track?
Jeff: Honestly, Darlington’s abrasiveness tends to curtail different strategies as teams have no choice but to take four fresh tires every chance they get. Staying on old tires is a recipe for disaster, even in overtime, and two tires would likely have the same result. But for those with an advantage, it never hurts to have a veteran driver who knows how to handle tires over the long haul.
Jordan: Drivers who know how to best manage their tires have a clear advantage. This means drivers watch testing and see who is fast over long runs rather than just a few laps.
Odds for winner of NASCAR race at Darlington
Odds via BetMGM.
(Photo of Kyle Larson after his photo-finish victory in Kansas: Sean Gardner / Getty Images)